The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-22
STORIES OF THE SEA.
Anecdotes of Old Seafarers-The "Gal
Who Browsed Above Deck"
From the New York Star.

There are many good stories told of the
elden days, when there was less betting
bout the ships time in the twenty-four
&oGlrs, and whether the pilot at Sandy Hook
3puld step on board with his right or left
4oot first, or whether he would wear a wide
M&rake or hat.
&1 well remember hearing Of "Sam Slick"
dge Halliburton standing on the deck Of
tteamer on voyage to England when a
ankee came up to him and said: 81 hear,
that you come. from the place where
hm Slick lives" 'Ah,n said the Judge
think | know him as well as any man
ling, for have shaved him for forty
sars" The Yankee at dinner told his
sends that the man whom they all thought
41ntelllgent and clever was only a barber
- he had himself stated that in his native
hce he had shaved Sam Slick" every
-prning for forty years! One one occasion
messenger who had never been at sea be-
re came on deck in the morning, and
ding all the fore and aft sails set, rushed
lto the cabin, telling everybody: There's
Nnethlng wrong; the curtains are all
Apwn," when an old lady, whose daughter
~ been sick most of the voyage, ex-
aimed: There's nothing wrong; my
has been browsing about the
k all morning. Some of the
&ecdotes relate to old captains Harrison,
the Asia, going to Halifax, encountered a
nse fog off the banks of Newfoundland
at breakfast told his passengers that he
pllld make the land by 8 in the afternoon.
[e day wore on, when close to the hour
med the cry came from the lookout,
3reakers aheadln and down went the helm
tanter. Harrison, who stood amidst a
NJ of anxious passengers, took out his
tch and calmly remarked, Every good /:
de land to the minuter" That
Ne Harrison, as brave and true a
or as ever lived, afterward com
hded the Great Eastern, and was
Tned in the Solent when going ashore in
Lingy. "Old Judkinsn was a mighty
pr and splendid navigator, could be as
lie as a lamb to beautiful woman. and
Ii as bear to the other sex if they
sed his path; but even to the lady pas
er he could sometimes growl, as when
eplied to the buxom widow who asked
1ere were always fogs on 1.-THE Banks, y
ont hive uron them, madam"
Cheery Lott" was another veteran COM
pder, and in the days of his bachelorhood,
prthy minister officiating on board his
quite unconsciously took for his text,
member Lots wife," which made the
0iern Lott rage furiously, as he also did
IN another occasion, when a sailor COM
-tned within his hearing that the pork was
~ salt as Lots wife, the good Captain
ing peculiarly sensitive to all such all
lpns to his distinguished biblical name
81 made a voyage to New York with the
Dent Commodore of one of the great At
&c fleets, Theodore Cook, the type of q
5Nful Captain, with nerve of cold blast
~ and who has commanded no less than
nty-four ships. He was taking his noon
rvations one day, when a cloud inter-
ed his vision. A passenger, coming up,
capt. Cook, I'm afraid that cloud
rented you from making your observa-
YES, sir" replied the potentate of
pea, ''but it did not hinder you from
ing yours"
= career of steam traffic, extending
nearly half century, has not been de-
~ of interesting episodes outside the
PC limits of ordinary business routine,
%M@l be seen from the two following Incl
-, which / have selected to conclude
orticle. The first relates to an action
cssvalry in the yet undegenerated day of
cO1hmercial emulation, and well deserves
grateful remembrance.
In 1850, one decade after the formation of
the Cunard line, there started into existence
the Collins line, which in its day was a great
power, and for a series of years fought hard
and fought well for the supremacy of the
Atlantic trade. At the very height of the
struggle, the steamphip Alps was seized
by the United States customs in conse-
quence OF an accusation brought
against some of her crew for snug
Cling, and bond was demanded to the
extent of 100000 sterling, when who
should come forward and stand surety for
the Cunard company but the great firm of
Brown, Shipley d Co., agents in New York
for the Collins line. That was truly geneI'-
Gus, and it told both companies that they
could fight as men and act as men in time OF
trouble. The second incident occurred in
1861, when the friendly relations between
Great Britain and America were put in
jeopardy through the forcible arrest OF
Messrs. Mason and Slidell, Confederate
commissioners ON board of the British
Royal mail steamer Trent, by the com
mander Of the Federal war steamer San
Janclnto. This was at the beginning of
winter, when time was of exceeding value,
and the resources of the Cunard company
were at once brought into requisition TO con
vey troops and stores to Canada. On the
4th of December orders We're telegrnphed TO
Liverpool TO fit up the Australasian as q
transport. She was completed on the 10th,
took IN her Goals on the 18th, embarked the
first battalion of the Rifle Brigade and stores
on the 18th and sailed on the 18th, under the
command OF Capt Cook, for Bic, on the st.
Lawrence. On the 18th of December similar
orders were received with regard TO the
Persia. She received her Goals on the 18th,
embarked 30 officers and men of the
Guards on the 18th, sailed the following day
under the command of Capt. Judkins, and
landed them in due course at Bic,
but the ice threatening TO envelop
the ship, Capt JudlSins had to bolt
for the open sea, leaving all his boats be-
hind. The story of these charters is Curl
Gus one. The company made the contract
with the admiralty for about 50,000, but
utter it was closed they received official inti-
nation that IL this special service was sue
cesSfully carried through they would be paid
a premium of 10000 Wen. as stated, the
Guards were landed in the Persia mt Bic, but
the AustInlasien, although she made a
gaEsnt attempt to reach that port also,
was prevented from doing 80 by the ice
closing in upon her, and she was Obliged
20 Gebark her troops at Halifax. The
company had clearly, therefore, forfeited
her premium, but what did the government
sayf They heard the story, and Lord Pal
merston. who was then Prime Minister,